News

One of the Gothenburg pilots, as part of the REALLOCATE project, focuses on a Safe System Approach for children’s active travel in the peri-urban area of Bergum-Gunnilse. Project partners from the City of Gothenburg and Halmstad University were invited by the local sports club, Bergum IF, to participate in the annual Bergum IF Day on 6 June. These partners engaged residents in discussions about mobility, with a focus on safety, trust, and community values. Participants—children, parents, and other residents—shared their experiences and thoughts by mapping community travel patterns and identifying what makes them feel safe or unsafe in their neighbourhoods. Such outreach events allow our project partners to learn more about how different groups perceive safety and its influence on mobility choices, all while exploring deeper concepts of trust and well-being within the community.

A key part of the engagement process was the recruitment of families for in-depth workshops, with the Bergum IF Day event proving to be an excellent opportunity for this. Workshops have since been held in families' homes, focusing on children’s and teenagers’ mobility needs and habits. The intention is to use their feedback to enable more independent and sustainable travel, whilst creating safer, more accessible neighbourhoods. These sessions allowed the project to work directly with families, giving greater understanding of needs to help develop solutions based on their real-life experiences and perspectives.

For the next phase of the pilot, there are plans to involve schools, the local football club, and civil society groups. Co-creation sessions will further strengthen the connection between community engagement, social sustainability, safety and autonomy.

Through such activities, the REALLOCATE project can help showcase the potential of citizen engagement and value-based planning to transform urban mobility, fostering a socially and environmentally sustainable system.

Thank you to Suzanne Green (EU Project Manager, City of Gothenburg) for providing this update from the REALLOCATE project work in Bergum-Gunnilse.